David Moyes acknowledges the fans as Jake O'Brien of Everton (obscured) leaves the pitch after the Premier League match between Everton FC and West Ham United FC at Goodison Park on March 15, 2025
Considering he’s a 6ft 6in centre-back, operating outside of his natural position, Jake O’Brien did a pretty good impression of a marauding right-back for most of the first half but after saving the day with a last-minute headed equaliser in front of the Gwladys Street, he finished up looking more like a classic Everton centre-forward.
Pushing forwards with regularity, bombing on and overlapping, the 23-year-old looked anything but an ungainly square peg in a round hole as he took the game to West Ham United in the opening exchanges.
Instead, O’Brien was more like a giant Irish Cafu and as well as whipping in opportunities for his team-mates, he also had a scoring chance himself as the home crowd roared: “Shoot” before, to his credit, he kept his effort low to bring a smart save from Alphonse Areola.
Those of us who witnessed the County Cork man’s debut at Preston North End in pre-season, can vouch for his coolness in dispatching chances on his right peg as he introduced himself to Blues with a smart turn and finish but typically, it was another header that saw him do the damage here.
With game about to go into stoppage time, O’Brien, who had broken his duck in English football at Brentford with a diving header that David Moyes enthusiastically replicated from the touchline, struck again.
It was a fitting finale in a fixture in which Everton fan group the 1878s saluted the club’s record goalscorer Dixie Dean, who signed for the club a century ago on Monday.